Furnace tile and roof



y 1951 L. w. RICE FURNACE TILE AND ROOF Filed Dec. 51, 1946 INVENTOR. LAW/PF/VCE W-E/CE A TTO/P/VEYS Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FURNACE TILE AND ROOF Lawrence W. Rice, Cleveland, Ohio 7 Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,40l

The present invention relates generally to the construction art and is particularly concerned with a novel furnace roof and novel elements comprising that roof.

It has heretofore been customary in constructing furnaces of refractory materials to employ relatively large slabs of refractory material as roofing elements. In all cases these elements have been sufficiently long or broad to bridge the space between side walls or end walls of a furnace. Roofs so constituted are relatively easily constructed, but are much more expensive than roofs composed of smaller blocks would be because of the greater cost of large blocks and the tendency for small areas of furnace ceiling to spall or break away, requiring replacement of ceiling or roof pieces which are largely unused. There has consequently long been an insistent demand for easy and economical means of constructing roofs of furnaces of smaller refractory pieces. To the best of my knowledge, this demand has not heretofore been met, although many serious efforts by others have been exerted to this end.

This invention meets this demand, and furthermore, enables rapid and easy replacement of furnace roof or ceiling components. Moreover, it provides roof or ceiling blocks of wholly novel form adapted for engagement with appropriately shaped keys by means of which roofs made of these elements are supported and maintained in place.

Those skilled in the art will gain a better understanding of this invention upon referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which 2 Claims. (Cl. 11099) Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one form of furnace of this invention;

Figure 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a block assembled with a key and embodying one form of this invention.

In general, the furnace roofs of this invention are peaked and made up of blocks of novel shape and keys disposed substantially parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the blocks.

The end and side walls I0 and l l respectively, of the illustrated furnace are made up of a plurality of bricks of refractory material arranged to define with a bottom wall a generally rectangular furnace space. One end wall I 0 of the furnace is provided with a fuel inlet opening (not shown) while the opposite end wall is fitted with a charging door (not shown) of conventional construction. Means of conventional design are provided for introducing fuel into the furnace for combustion. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,'the refractory bricks comprising the walls of the furnace are braced and supported by a metal basket I3 in position with respect to each other and with respect to the furnace roof.

The top wall or roof [5 of the furnace shown in Fig. 2 is peaked and comprises a plurality of elongated rectangular blocks l6 of refractory material having recessed end portions, and elongated keys l8 of rectangular shape in transverse cross section. These blocks are arranged in a series of pairs with recessed end surfaces of blocks of each pair opposed and engaged to define a keyway for keys [8, with adjacent blocks in tight side-byside engagement, and with the sides of the end blocks in tight engagement with opposed surfaces of end walls H]. The keyway thus defined extends from one end Wall to the other through substantially the central section of the furnace roof. The roof derives a part of its support from side walls H between which it extends, and is further supported by metal plates 20 which extend the length of the roof along opposite sides thereof. The plates 29 are right triangular in cross section about the outer ends of the roof blocks l6 and are disposed with hypotenuse surfaces diverging upward. Four braces 22 are secured to basket l3 and arranged in pairs disposed on opposite sides of the furnace and serve to urge the plates 20 toward each other. When the braces are tightened, the plates 20 urge the blocks together at their notched ends and press them against the key, thereby forming a substantial roof. Each pair of braces is held firmly together by tie rods 23 which extend across the furnace between members of these pairs and have threaded end portions for engagement with nuts to secure the tie rods and braces together.

The blocks l6 comprising the roof l5 are rectangular and are of refractory material. These blocks are each provided with substantially plane and parallel top and bottom surfaces, an end surface having a key slot, as shown in Fig. 4, and a remote end surface. The slotted end surface of each of these blocks defines an acute angle with the top surface thereof and an obtuse angle with the bottom surface and the outer or remote end surface is disposed at an angle to the slotted end so that in a peaked roof these slotted and remote end surfaces converge downwardly. These blocks are so shaped that, when disposed at an angle to the horizontal as part of a peaked roof, each of the slotted end surfaces defines an angle with the adjoining top surface which is substantially complementary to the angle defined with the horizontal by the roof in which the block is incorporated. In a roof assembly these blocks should be inclined convergingly upwardly at a small angle, for example, five or ten degrees. Each block 16, of course, is slotted in end surfaces in such manner that it may be combined with similar blocks to produce a roof like that illustrated. The keyway defining recess in the end portion of block I6 is substantially triangular in transverse cross section and extends across the block from one side to the other, paralleling the top and bottom surfaces of said block.

In applying the roof of this invention to a furnace having side and end walls, mortar is applied to the tops of the side walls and blocks I6 are disposed thereon with recessed end portions of opposed blocks defining a keyway. Keys l8 are inserted in the keyway and the plates 22 are drawn up into tight engagement with the roof by tightening the'nuts of tie rods 23.

When a block in the roof is to be replaced, the roof retaining effect of plates 22 is partially removed by loosening the rods 23, the block .is lifted from the roof, a new block is disposed in place of said block, and the tie rods 23 are drawn up, returning the plates 22 to their original position.

Although I have specifically described a particular form of key, I contemplate the employment of keys of other shapes and dimensions, as well as the employment of a single key in a single roof instead of a plurality of keys. The keys may, for instance, assume the shape, in transverse cross section, of a polygon, such as a triangle, a hexagon, or an ellipse, or may be of irregular shape. In any'event, however, the slots in the ends of the blocks defining a keyway should be appropriately cut to shape to define in assembly a keyway in which the key will be closely received so that the roof will thereby gain strength and support. I also contemplate the employment of a plurality of keys of different shape and dimensionsin a single roof having a continuous key-way or a plurality of non-communicating ke-yWa-ys. Furthermore, the bricks or tiles comprising the peaked roofs of the furnaces of this invention need not necessarily have substantially plane and parallel top and bottom surfaces, but may be of any suitable shape.

Having thus described the present invention so that those skilled in the art maybe able to understand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A furnace comprising bottom, side and end walls of refractory bricks, a metal basket engaging the outer surfaces of said walls and supporting and retaining the bricks thereof in :relative position to each other, a plurality of refractory blocks defining a peaked roof and having outwardly facing end portions and other end por tions recessedand opposed and cooperating with each other .to define .asubstantially horizontally disposed keyway extending lengthwise through the roof, and means for supporting the roof comprising a key in said keyway, a plurality of upright braces spaced along the sides of the furnace and arranged in pairs with the individual members of each pair on opposite sides of the furnace being opposed to each other, said braces having lower portions below said roof secured to the basket and having intermediate portions opposed to said outwardly facing end portions of the roof blocks to restrain said blocks against movement laterally of the furnace, and a plurality of tie rods extending across the furnace above said roof and "adjustably securing upper portions of opposed braces together whereby said intermediate portions can be moved arcuately toward each other around pivot points below the roof to grip said blocks between opposed braces and hold the said blocks tightly together around said key.

2. A furnace comprising bottom, side and end walls of refractory bricks, means comprising a metal frame engaging the side and end walls of the furnace for supporting .and retaining the bricks of said walls in relative position to each other, a plurality of refractory blocks defining a peaked roof and having outwardly facing end portions and other end portions recessed and opposed and cooperating with each other to define a substantially horizontally disposed keyway eX- tending lengthwise through the roof, and means for supporting the roof comprising a key in said keyway, a plurality of upright braces spacedalong the sides of the furnace and arranged in pairs with the individual members of each pair onopposite sides of the furnace being opposed to each other, said braces having lower portions below said roof secured to the metal frame .and having intermediate portions opposed to said outwardly facing end portions of the roof blocks to restrain said blocks against movement laterally-of the furnace, .and a plurality of tie rods extending across the furnace abov said roof and adjustably securing :upper portions of opposed braces together whereby said intermediate portions can be moved arcuately toward each other around pivot points below the roof to grip said blocks between opposed braces and hold the said blocks tightly together around said key.

LAWRENCE WM. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,482 Ward Feb. .24, ,1903 753,059 Foote Feb. 23, 1904 1,227,050 Hegeler May 22, 1917 1,339,615 Wundrack May 11, 1920 1,452,533 Williams Apr. .24, 1,923

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,740 Denmark Sept. '9, 1929 

